Guardian
by Zombie Brains
Summary: Sequel to Under Pressure. Life is calm and normal for Yuugi, Atemu and their friends as they prepare for graduation, but when a Witch of the Light sets her targets the ones Atemu loves how can his Shadow powers hold up against the light?
1. Returns

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugioh. I might go cry emo tears now, though.

This is the sequel to Under Pressure, by popular demand. Sure maybe I don't have the timeline down perfectly, but I'm close… sort of. And I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to make Ishizu Atemu's girlfriend, so give me your opinion on the matter. I have two different plots depending on whether or not she and Atemu are together, so get your votes in while they count.

Review when you're done, please.

**Guardian**

**Returns**

The last lazy hour of the last lazy day of the last hectic year at Domino High school for Yuugi Mutou seemed to want to crawl by like a drop of sweet honey on a frigid day. Now eighteen, an official man, Yuugi was looking forward to life after required schooling, though the thought of moving from his mother's wonderful cooking and his cushy bedroom to a cramped two bedroom apartment and eating only ramen noodles until after college was not a prospect he looked forward to. He knew his grandfather and mother would _never _throw Yuugi out into the streets but the youth knew after nineteen he was considered a failure and a moocher.

Yawning widely, Yuugi glanced around the chattering classroom; it's occupants buzzing with anticipation of no longer being considered adolescent. Going on about Edward Toppest tight butt seemed adolescent when compared to preparing for college or sending in last minute applications to a random college. Staring at Monica Eward's fake breasts seemed adolescent compared to making sure the U-haul was ready to go by the time graduation was over, being the first to grow a "deep" college five-o-clock shadow to impress the co-eds, and deciding on how to tell mother that the SATs didn't go quite as planned.

An earth-shattering snore shook the room. Yuugi jerked straight up to see his teacher snoozing, leaning so far back on her rolling chair he was worried that it would slip out from under her… again. Mrs. Chetian was notorious for falling asleep at the end of the year, growing resigned to the fact that as long as her students got their diploma, they didn't give a damn about the last day of school. Morbidly obese, elderly, and largely disliked, Mrs. Chetian was just an all around bitter woman, and how she had gotten married was beyond her students. What was even more baffling was the fact that she had three children… _that_ particular fact made the students want to gag so badly, it was disregarded as if there were no children with the surname Chetian.

Yuugi frowned at Mrs. Chetian's sleeping form with the bitter resentment of a young man who had almost failed her class because she had misplaced his essay, which had also happened to be the most important essay of the year. She had found it several days later in the bottom of her bag, but Yuugi was still furious with the injustice. The woman had never even apologized. This was also the reason he grinned as three boys in the back of the classroom began throwing paper wads at her gaping mouth. There was an adolescent cheer of glee when one boys actually made a paper wad into her mouth but it was quickly stifled when Chetian stirred roughly in her chair. The boys ducked under their desk as if it were a tornado, but Chetian merely snored an enormous snore again and drooped her head in slumber once more.

The class had begun to buzz with chatter again when Ms. Noverola, a plump but pretty faced Freshman English teacher from across the hall poked her head into the classroom to see why her ceiling was rumbling. The expression on her face slightly bemused, Noverola left when the classroom claimed to have heard nothing.

Yuugi crossed his arms on his desk and placed his head on his arms, staring out the window, watching the airplanes go by, leaving behind a trail of smoke and toxins. The youth smiled, thinking of his friend Joey and how he would have launched into a rant about how no one cares about the condition of our air and how those damned planes were the main cause of the hole in the ozone layer.

Joey had changed so much over the past year and a half it was slightly disturbing. The once hot headed, blundering boy he had been seemed like so far back in time that Yuugi could hardly remember him. Joey was now level headed and poised, every move he made calm and smooth, as the wind, brushing past so subtly, shifting ever so slightly, dictating the environment around him so fastidiously. But then he could become as threatening and furious as a hurricane…

"Yuugi, man, did you fall asleep? Because Damien wants to draw on your face with permanent marker."

Yuugi pulled his head up slowly to face Joseph Wheeler's eyes, calm, as they had grown to be in the past year.

"He's not asleep, Damien," Joey called across the room. Yuugi heard Damien swear but begin to talk with his own friends. Joey frowned at Yuugi's detached gaze. "Are you okay there, buddy? You seem a little…" Joey paused, choosing his words carefully, "distracted."

"I guess I am a little… distracted," answered Yuugi. Joey nodded.

"About graduation tonight? Me too," said Joey.

"Yeah…" said Yuugi, having forgotten completely about graduation. "That. I'm distracted about that." Joey's sidelong glance proved to Yuugi that Joey knew that graduation was not bothering him, but Joey kept it to himself. Yuugi was glad for this. He didn't want Joey to worry about him. Yuugi placed his head on his arms again. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Yuugi?"

"Yeah, Joe?"

"I don't think I'm ready not to be an adolescent yet."

Yuugi glanced back up at Joey, taking him in, thinking of all the changes that had happened and all the changes to come. How different was Joey? Yuugi knew the answer to that. Joey was completely different. He was no longer a boy. He was a man. A grown man.

"Joe?"

"Yeah, Yuug'"

"For you, it's a little late for that."

-

- - -

-

For some reason, leaving school was easy for Yuugi. He didn't understand the weeping girls, throwing themselves in each other's arms, claiming to never forget each other. He didn't understand the groups of people breaking into song, the Vitamin C song that he had heard so many times over the last week he wanted to hunt down the wretched woman and throw something heavy at her. For a moment he wondered if it was bad for him to be so terribly apathetic toward the idea of leaving school. Joey convinced him it wasn't.

Joey's reasoning was that the reason the others were so caught up about missing each other was that they would most likely never see their dear friends again. That or they believed the bunk about high school being the golden years of life. Joey reminded Yuugi that he would see his best friends almost everyday seeing as he, Joey, and Tristan were all getting an apartment so they wouldn't feel terribly alone. And though Tea had moved to New York to fulfill her dream of becoming dancer she would go back to Domino for holidays.

"It's not such a big deal, you know? We're all still together."

But Yuugi didn't feel that way. He felt as if so much of their group was missing. Seto Kaiba had moved his headquarters to Hong Kong, China. Duke had bought out the old Kaiba Corps. Main building and turned it into his game headquarters, after convincing Mister Solomon Mutou to merge companies, resulting in the Mutou family experiencing a kind of fortune they had never experienced before. Duke now flew all over the country building new shops and stores.

Even Atemu had left the country a year and a half ago. He had hurried to Egypt because it seemed that Shadi had fallen deathly ill, taking with him, of course, Diana. The Ishtars had faithfully gone with him, along with Mahaado and Mana, another gaping hole in the group Yuugi had grown accustomed to. Though Shadi had gotten better with the presence and care of the Pharaoh and his friends, it seemed more and more business was keeping Atemu in Egypt, whether it was Mana and Mahaado's desire to tour the country they had so dearly missed or Atemu having to spend several months persuading Shadi to just take the damned medicine the doctor prescribed to keep Shadi from getting so ill again. And yet, though Atemu had to fight Shadi's hard headedness and there was always work that needed to be taken care of, Atemu always seemed to be having a blast every time he wrote or called Yuugi.

Yuugi ignored the stabbing pains in his heart from missing his dearest friend, knowing that Atemu was the happiest he had ever been in his life. How could he be so selfish to want Atemu to come home after all the poor man had been through?

"You're not selfish," said Joey, once when Yuugi had voiced his opinions. "You just miss your pal, that's all. There's nothing wrong with wanting to see you friend again."

Yuugi decided that Joey knew what he was talking about and allowed himself to be mildly comforted, though he still felt a little guilty.

"You've got too big of a heart," said Joey, noticing Yuugi was still a little down. "You feel bad for the slightest thing, which I good, don't get me wrong, but you've got to know the difference between actually doing something bad and just being human." And when Tristan voiced that he really missed Atemu as well, Yuugi didn't feel as bad.

"No more school," said Tristan, as they walked out of the front gates for the last time. "No more god damned school."

"Thank God for that," remarked Joey, stretching his arms high as if praising the Almighty.

"We've still got college," Yuugi reminded them. "You know Atemu would come back and maim us all if he caught wind that we hadn't gone to college."

"Hey, at least it'd get him back in the country," said Tristan. "Every cloud's got a silver lining."

"Until we died from blood loss," said Joey dryly. "Or I strangled you myself for reciting proverbs." Tristan and Yuugi chuckled.

"Hey Grandpa said he had a surprise for me when I get home," said Yuugi suddenly remembering his grandfather's sly behavior that morning by spotting the shop from down the black.

"That was kind of random," remarked Joey.

"You two want to come?"

"I don't know… I've got to pick up Serenity from the train station at five-o-clock," said Joey, brushing back his sleeve and glancing at his watch. "She and Ma are coming to see me graduate tonight." Joey seemed to swell proudly as he spoke as though his mother and sister seeing him graduate was the greatest thing to happen to him.

"Yuugi, why are there… like… three extra cars in front of your house?" asked Tristan. Yuugi squinted against the late after noon sun and sure enough; three cars were parked neatly in front of the quaint game shop. But this was not surprising seeing as how his graduation was that night. He assumed the surprise his grandfather had kept from him was extra family coming into town for graduation.

Yuugi headed toward his home, Tristan and Joey right behind him, just as curious about the new cars as Yuugi was. As they neared the shop and the cars, Yuugi noticed a small black one with a baby seat in the back and the windows rolled down halfway. This was odd. He didn't have any cousins that were still young enough to need cars seats. Suddenly Yuugi rounded on Joey and Tristan.

"Do either of you smell that?"

"Wasn't me," said Tristan, putting his arms up defensively and taking a step back.

"Not _that,_" snapped Yuugi. "It's actually a _good _smell." Yuugi turned to Joey for assurance, but the blonde merely shook his head.

"Allergies acting up. I can't smell a thing."

"Incense, guys! Incense!" cried Yuugi, running to the black car with the window open and staring in. The therapeutic scent of incense was wafting from the car like a smoke signal. "Who is the only person we know who uses this kind of incense?"

"Uh," said Tristan stepping closer so catch a better scent. "Your mom?"

"No!" Yuugi spun toward his front door, staring at it as if he were a small boy deprived of his comfort blanket and on the other side of the door was his mother with his blanket in her arms. "No, no, no!" He sprinted up the stairs, suddenly anxious and giddy. Slamming the door against a wall as he burst into his shop, Yuugi bounded ahead maybe three steps before suddenly becoming rooted to the spot.

Behind the counter, Atemu sat, engrossed in his latest book, a plate of celery smeared with peanut butter next his usual cup of tea. The man didn't even seem to notice the slamming door or the dinging of the door's bell, just flipped a page obliviously. Yuugi stared in silence and blinked, testing to see if his eyes were playing a trick on him. They weren't.

"Atem!"

Joey and Tristan did not seem to be having the leg malfunctions that Yuugi did; they sprinted into the shop and would have knocked Atemu to the ground had they not had such a powerful grip on him. Atemu only had time to cry out in surprise before he was smothered in Joey and Tristan's weight, both wrapping their arms around him. Laughing at the surprised look on Atemu's face, Yuugi sprinted forward and collided with Atemu, Joey, and Tristan, hearing another grunt from Atemu, wrapping his arms around all three of them.

"How touching," said a kind, warm voice from behind the group. The three attackers glanced around while Atemu caught his breath. Mahaado was leaning on the doorframe leading to the living room, watching every their every move, as usual. Yuugi had forgotten Mahaado's tendency to play bodyguard for Atemu, as he had when Atemu was Pharaoh and Mahaado was still a priest and human.

"Mahaado!" Joey and Tristan once again sprinted across the game shop to hug Mahaado, as they did Atemu. The only difference was Mahaado was ready for them. And though he embraced them warmly, he still watched over their heads as though Yuugi would whip out a knife and stab Atemu in the heart.

Suddenly Yuugi remembered Atemu's immense dislike of being touched or manhandled and for a split second was worried he had already gotten on Atemu's nerves. But Atemu brushed himself off, straightened his jacket, and turned to face Yuugi, surveying him as a brother looking over his favorite sibling. Yuugi immediately flung his arms around Atemu again, though this time Atemu was able to hug back. It felt as though a gaping chasm in Yuugi's heart had been filled; his best friend was back, his brother was _back._

"Atem, you've been gone for a while," said Yuugi, pulling back a taking a look at Atemu. The man had aged, though very slightly. His frown lines had been dug deeper, both crawling down from the corners of his mouth to the edge of his face. Telltale lines had formed at the corners of his eyes, though ever so faintly.

"I know I have," said Atemu, looking as though he immediately regretted being gone so long. "But I'm back now."

"Why so suddenly, Atem?" asked Joey.

"You're graduation," said Atemu proudly. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Who's we?" asked Tristan. "You mean everyone came back?"

"Well, Shadi had to stay behind," said Atemu, frowning slightly. "But yes, Malik, Ishizu, and Odion are upstairs, Mana is helping your mother with dinner, Diana is in the kitchen, underfoot, I'm sure, and Mahaado and I are watching the shop while you grandfather is napping." Yuugi noticed Atemu's English was a little hesitant, as though he were having trouble remembering the right words, but that was only to be expected when Atemu had been speaking nothing but Egyptian for the past year and a half.

Atemu took up his glass of tea and sipped what was left neatly, peering over the rim of the cup at Yuugi.

"Are you serious?" cried Joey excitedly. "_Everyone _came back just for our graduation?"

"What do you mean 'just graduation'?" asked Atemu, his large crimson eyes turned suddenly onto Joey. He balanced the empty teacup on his palm. "This is a reward for your hard work throughout high school. It's very important."

"Pssh. A money order would be a much better reward," remarked Tristan, only to receive a deathly glare from Atemu. There was a jingling sound and Yuugi saw Cheddar, Atemu's basset hound and James, Atemu's enormous orange fat cat trotting in the room at the sound of new people.

"Besides," said Mahaado petting Cheddar, "think of how much bunk Lord Atemu had to go through to make sure you three losers made it to graduation."

Yuugi's heart skipped a beat. _Lord _Atemu. He had almost forgotten that two years ago, Atemu had been dubbed Lord Guardian of the Shadows. Suddenly Yuugi noticed that Atemu, already a slender man, was even slimmer than the last time Yuugi saw him, possibly because of the stomach disorder he had acquired around the same time he was named Lord Guardian. Vivid images flashed through Yuugi's mind of a towering tidal wave dangerously over Domino Peer, Empress Typhoon latching to Atemu's arm, plans of marriage on her lips, Atemu laying in a heap in a bed, his entire body racked with pain, a enormous army of vicious Beast creeping over the horizon, lead by two Traitor Princesses, Atemu and Proteus the Water Sprite clinging for dear life to a tower, Proteus desperately trying to keep a grip on Atemu's arm but slipping, and the giant vile dragon that was the deranged form of Aura…

"Yuugi, are you still with us?"

Yuugi blinked roughly and stared at Atemu as though seeing him for the first time. "Yeah, Atem… I'm fine."

"Right," said Atemu, still watching Yuugi carefully as though the younger might suddenly have a heart attack. "You're… fine."

"Hey guys, I got to run to the train station," said Joey checking his watch once more. "Serenity. Ma. Ringing any bells?"

"I'll give you a ride," said Atemu, looking his own watch as well. "I've been trying to find an excuse to get out of this shop all day. You know, I never…" His sentence trailed off, making Mahaado jerk his head away from his and Tristan's conversation. How unlike Atemu to not finish a thought. Atemu's gaze had shifted from Yuugi and Joey to the shop's door, and he glowered at it as though he expected something unexpected to happen. Yuugi noticed a slight shift in Atemu's shadow.

Suddenly Atemu's face was completely serious and dangerous, as Yuugi had only seen a couple times in the past. Yuugi saw the frown that etched lines into Atemu's sharp face relentlessly.

"So you'll give me a ride?" asked Joey, trying to drag the room out of its awkward silence.

"What?" snapped Atemu briskly, glaring at Joey before remembering the conversation. He immediately put on a completely different face, a face that was suddenly kind and gentle, as the others had grown used to it. The sudden change worried Yuugi. "Yes, Joseph, we'll go get your mother and sister."

"Yuugi and I'll stay here to get ready for graduation," said Tristan. "Mahaado are you going with them?" But it was not Mahaado who answered.

"No," said Atemu, his crimson eyes now on Mahaado. "I'd rather if he stayed here."

"Of course, Lord Atemu," said Mahaado, seeming to understand that Atemu had the air of a man who wanted to make sure there was someone to protect Yuugi, his family, and the Ishtars if something went wrong.

Atemu collected Diana, who seemed like a little China doll made in the image of her mother, Lady Nyx, the woman who had been Guardian of Shadows before Atemu. Diana's long raven hair was pulled out of her face into pigtails, her large black eyes happy and curious of the world around her. Her pale white skin seemed even lighter compared to Atemu's dark bronze skin. Atemu strapped Diana into her car seat and he and Joey left for the other end of town.

"I wonder what he was so worried about," said Mahaado thoughtfully, watching Atemu's car turn a corner.

-

- - -

-

"I can't wait to see my little sister again," Joey was saying, turned around in his seat, playing with Diana.

Atemu smiled. "I'll bet. When was the last time you saw her?"

"About four months ago," said Joey, frowning slightly. Atemu sighed through his nose, a headache forming in the back of his head from sitting in heavy traffic. He drummed the fingers of one hand on the steering wheel to the music on the radio.

"That's a long time not to see a sibling," said Atemu, watching the person in front of him brake for every slightest thing with extreme annoyance. "And your mother? When did you last see her?"

"Almost five months ago. She was sick last time Serenity came over," explained Joey.

"I'll bet you're glad to have her at your – _Jesus Christ!" _Atemu slammed on the brakes, barely stopping soon enough to avoid ramming the person who had just cut him off in the bumper. Joey's face was smacked into the headrest, but he was busy trying to calm down Diana to notice his bleeding nose.

"You're not the only one on the road!" Atemu roared at the bright green car. "Joseph turn around, I don't want you losing an eye because this moron can't drive." Joey did as he was told, mentally telling himself off for sitting backwards in a car during rush hour. Atemu spared Joey a sympathetic look and said, "There are napkins in the glove box."

"Tanks Anyem," said Joey nasally. As he reached into the glove box, he felt Atemu exiting the freeway and felt his heart speed up. And sure enough when Joey looked out of the windows Atemu was pulling into the train station parking lot and his mother and Serenity were sitting on a bench outside the main building.

"Nice to meet you Atemu," said Mrs. Wheeler, hugging her son. "I've heard nothing but good things about you."

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Wheeler," said Atemu, watching Serenity and Joey play with Diana out of the corner of his eye, Serenity and Joey laughing just as much as the two year old was.

"You take care of her all by yourself, Mister Atemu?" said Mrs. Wheeler, watching her children tickle Diana.

"Oh yes," said Atemu, frowning slightly. "All by my lonesome."

"Atem, what's that?" Diana asked suddenly pointing to something in the sky. Atemu followed her finger's direction, his face suddenly fearful.

He spotted what she was pointing at and felt his heart skip two beats. He was suddenly reminded of Greek Mythology and the Sirens. It seemed like a beautiful woman with hawk wings and legs was flying at them with incredible speed. Her hair was honey blonde and her eyes were vivid emerald and she was flying straight at…

"Diana!"

Atemu bounded forward and shoved Joey and Serenity into the grass before falling to his knees, scooping Diana into his arms and rolling out of the way. He had barely gotten an inch out of danger before the woman swooped down and back up again, her talons scraping the asphalt loudly. She perched herself on top of the train station, the sounds of frightened civilians suddenly filling the air.

"What the hell is that thing?" bellowed Joey over the screams and tells that the woman was causing.

"A Wind Sprite," spat Atemu, scrambling to his feet. "What is she doing in this realm, though?"

The Sprite swooped down once more and knocked Atemu off his feet, though he kept his iron clad grip on Diana. She turned to face Atem, a look of pure annoyance on her face.

"Give me that child!"


	2. A Helping Hand

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugioh. I might go cry emo tears now, though.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I was at my dad's house, then my computer crashed, then I lost my journal (I'm still crying about that one), and then I had to go to choir camp. So this is chapter two and chapter three will be up much sooner, I promise.

**Guardian**

**A Helping Hand**

"Mister Atemu, watch out!" screamed Serenity, falling into her mother's arms as Joey shoved her out of danger. "Joey!" He leapt forward to Atemu's side, but was promptly clawed in the face, the Wind Sprite shrieking with demented laughter as her talons ripped Joey's face. Cursing loudly, Joey fell to his knees, his hands on his face, blood slipping through his fingers. The scarlet blood obscured Joey's vision, leaking into his eyes, causing the young man to cry out in pain as he tried to open them. Suddenly, Joey heard the unmistakable sound of the Sprite swooping down once again, and he blindly dove toward where he knew bushes were, hiding temporarily until he could find his way.

Mrs. Wheeler cried out for her son, watching him fruitlessly try and wipe the blood out of his eyes. From the corner of her eye she saw the Sprite plummet to the earth once more, only this time at Atemu. Serenity had watched as Atemu crawled to a clump of bushes and hid Diana while Joey was distracting the Sprite, and gasped when the Sprite managed to sink her claws into Atemu's shoulders. He thrust his legs up, kicking her in the stomach, sending her soaring into the wall of the train station.

"Atemu!" cried Joey, now desperately trying to get the blood out of his eyes. "Atem… _Jesus_… Atem, I can't see!"

"Hold on, Joseph," grunted Atemu, clutching his bleeding shoulders. He swore under his breath, as he examined the amount of blood on one hand to see how badly he was hurt. The Sprite climbed out from under the debris, she had created from being slammed into the wall so hard and examined Atemu, a look of pure rage contorting her beautiful face.

"I don't want to have to kill you, human," she spat. "But I will if I have to. All I want is the girl."

"You're very kind," gasped Atemu, feeling as though his shoulders were on fire. "But I'm sorry to say, you'll just have to kill me."

"Have it your way," shrugged the Sprite. She suddenly lunged at Atemu; her vicious talons aimed at Atemu's throat… and suddenly she was thrown sideways under the weight of Joey, who had thrown himself at the Sprite. She screamed and pounded her feet against Joey's stomach, and wrapped her hands around his throat. He gagged and clutched her hands weakly, trying to throw her off.

"Atemu, help him!" shouted Mrs. Wheeler, but Atemu was already summoning his Shadow powers. He pointed at the Sprite's shadow and it lurched violently across the parking lot, dragging the Sprite with it. Sweet oxygen found its way into Joey's deprived lungs as he launched himself up, clasping his bruised throat. Vision still severely slurred, Joey found the blob he assumed to be Atemu and stumbled to Atemu, propping himself up by clutching Atemu's shoulder.

"We're still in danger," whispered Atemu to Joey, watching the Sprite struggle against her own shadow that Atemu had momentarily pinned to a tree a good distance away. "Get your mother, your sister, and Diana and run to the car. Get as far as you can. I'll try and buy you some time."

"What about you?"

"What about me? Just get them away, I'll be fine."

"I've heard that one before."

-

- - -

-

Atemu watched Joey scoop up Diana and lead his family toward the car, before turning toward the Sprite. He broke the hold he had on her shadow and braced himself as she darted toward him like a torpedo, flexing her talons as if already ripping into Atemu's flesh. Ducking slightly, Atemu carefully tucked his hands into his pockets and sidestepped her attack, swinging his leg up and into her back. She threw her hands in front of her, to break the fall and felt her wrist snap.

Taking her screech of pain as a good sign, Atemu took a step forward, only to receive a claw to the face. He was thrown backward into a trunk of a particularly large tree. A jolt of terrible pain shot through his shoulders, paralyzing him for a short time. But in that short time, the Sprite had returned to the air, cradling her broken wrist to her chest. She scanned the battleground and was infuriated to find that she had let her prey escape.

She returned her gaze to her opponent just as his paralysis wore off. He crumpled to the ground, gripping both of his shoulders weakly, gazing back up at her.

"Who are you, human?" she asked, glaring at him contemptuously.

"That, my dear, is neither here nor there. You are trying to take what I have, and I won't stand for it. Sorry, love," said Atemu sternly as though a professor lecturing his student.

"Look you," said the Sprite, placing her good hand on her hip. "This doesn't concern you. So why don't you just go scoot home and give me the girl?"

"I can't give you what I don't have," said Atemu, struggling to his feet.

"Maybe not, but you can stay out of my way," said the Sprite; suddenly interested in the thick tree trunk Atemu was leaning against.

"I can't do that either," said Atemu somberly. "You see, I've a promise to uphold. And, sadly, I'm a man of my word."

"Then I'm _make _you stay out of my way," whispered the Sprite and sent a giant tumultuous gust of wind at Atemu from the tips of her fingers. He dived forward onto the ground in a desperate dodge, sending another paralyzing jolt of pain through Atemu's torso. Suddenly a thought bolted through Atemu's mind: _That was too easy…!_ Suddenly a loud creaking noise erupted from behind Atemu: the tree was collapsing. Atemu's heart skipped several beats. _I'll be crushed flat… _

Time suddenly slowed down. Every possible escape flew into Atemu's head; summoning his Shadow Powers, but there was no way he'd be able to get enough power to stop a tree that size in time; simply roll out of the way? No! He still couldn't move. One by one thoughts of routes to safety popped into his head, each one feebler than the last. All he could do as he shadow become shorter and darker.

"Lord Guardian!"

Suddenly, Atemu felt a strong grip latch onto his arm and pull him out of danger as the tree collided with the earth, sinking half a foot into the ground. Wincing at the fresh pain jolting his shoulders, Atemu suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. The sky above him was spinning slowly, his vision blurring. He closed his eyes against the light now giving him a headache. He heard the Sprite shriek with fury and swoop down again but grunt with pain. A thud meant that Atemu's rescuer had temporarily subdued the Wind Sprite.

"Lord Atemu, are you alright?"

Atemu cracked an eye open suddenly recognizing the voice. A pair of deep silver eyes met his, watching him carefully.

"Proteus?"

-

- - -

-

"I cannot believe I just Atemu there!" grumbled Joey, turning a corner sharply. His face was covered in dried blood, ripped and swollen. Under the mess, his face was white and taut, as he continued glance at the sides of the road as if hoping to see Atemu hitchhiking. "What was I thinking, believing 'I'll be fine'? He was hurt when I left… what makes me think-"

"Joseph, watch the road!" cried Mrs. Wheeler, gripping her seat desperately, the world around her a desperate blur as her son sped down the freeway fifteen miles per hour above the speed limit. Serenity clutched Diana to her chest, both girls terrified.

"Mister Wheeler?" said Diana politely.

"What?" snapped Joey carelessly flipping someone the bird as they honked indignantly at him.

"Where's Atem? I'm scared."

This was the last straw. Griping the wheel so hard his knuckles were white, Joey skidded onto an exit ramp, darting into a gas station parking lot, and then rocketing into a U-turn back toward the train station. Poor Mrs. Wheeler was near a heart attack and purely shocked that there were not police cars chasing them right now.

"Joey, Mister Atemu told us to get to safety!" protested Serenity, flashes of the Sprite's claws ripping into Joey's face and Atemu's shoulders flashing through her mind.

"What if he's hurt Serenity?" asked Joey, almost beside himself with worry.

"Then his sacrifice will be in vain if Diana is hurt," said Serenity, tightening her clutch on Diana.

"She won't be," growled Joey. "I'm going to get out and if the coast is clear we can get me and Atemu back home safe. If not, Ma, you need to get behind the wheel and get yourself out."

Mrs. Wheeler and Serenity glanced at each other, knowing that Joey had made up his mind. Severely uneasy, Diana squirmed in Serenity's grip. This was the longest she'd ever been away from Atemu. And she didn't like it. _I want my Atemu, _she thought bitterly to herself, wishing that that wish would come true as easily as the wish that Atemu would come and scare the Boogeyman out from underneath her bed every night. She glanced helplessly out of the window in time to see the three-ton boulder that had just been launched at their car.

-

- - -

-

"Lord Atemu, are you alright?" asked Proteus, his kind, round face tilted to the side, his long silver hair falling into his eyes. Atemu was shocked as he saw that Proteus looked several years older than he did the last time Atemu saw him. Lines wore into his face, a short beard had grown in, and his hair reached down to his mid-back instead of to his shoulders.

"Proteus, what are you doing here?" asked Atemu, wincing slightly as Proteus treated his wounds with an acrid smelling paste that stung on contact. Proteus was a little unsettled by how weak Atemu's voice was but continued as though he were not.

"I was sent to fetch you, Lord Atemu," Proteus said seriously. Atemu stared at him wondering if this was the real Proteus when the Water Sprite grinned kindly and broke into his favorite hobby: talking. "It's really good to see you again Lord Atemu, I mean it's been six years, and that's a long time for someone with such a low attention span as mine, and speaking of low attention span how's Joey and Tristan, because they were always really fun, and that dance contest Tea set up was really fun, but I'm not really a good dancer, didn't Yuugi like Tea, are they together, because I think they make a cute couple, are you with anyone at the moment, Lord Atemu?"

Atemu suddenly had the sensation of having to address fifteen different things with one sentence.

"Er… no," said Atemu carefully. Proteus seemed satisfied with this answer and finished wrapping Atemu's shoulders with bandages.

"So where is everyone, oh you know what I found in my sock drawer the other day?"

"I do believe," said Atemu quickly before he learned something he didn't want to, "they are at Yuugi's game shop."

"Game shop? I love games, what kind of game does he have there?" asked Proteus curiously.

"All sorts," said Atemu distractedly. "Why were you sent to fetch me, Proteus?"

"We're having problems with finding the other Element Guardians, milord," said Proteus, suddenly very serious. "You were chosen to protect the element of darkness… which is fine and dandy because there aren't anymore renegade Tainted Shadows which obviously means you're doing your jab and making sure Pure Shadows don't become Tainted… but…" Proteus's sentence trailed off into nothingness.

"But?" prompted Atemu.

"But now the other elements are getting out of control. Empress Typhoon sent me to this realm to ask if you'll help us find the other Element Guardians."

"Well, what elements are we look for at the moment?"

"Right now Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Ice… those are the Physical Elements, there are others, more abstract elements like yours. Yours is one of the four Abstract Elements: Light, Shadow, Life, and Death. Then there are Celestial Elements. Only three though: Moon, Lightning, and Stars," said Proteus, counting the elements off on his fingers.

"Proteus, that's twelve people!"

"Which is exactly why we need your help," said Proteus desperately. "You'll be able to find them because you're able to sense what element people are, right?"

"Of course," said Atemu stiffly.

"Then all you need to do is find the person with the strongest power of that element and bring them to our realm where it's easiest for the past Guardians to get to them so they can get their title," said Proteus.

"You say that like is actually humanly possible to go to every single realm God created in search of twelve people!" exclaimed Atemu, the thought actually making him dizzy.

"Only eleven," said Proteus hastily. "We've already found you!"

"Well that's oodles better!" cried Atemu in a sort of hysterical sarcasm. "We have to find _eleven _people. Which is much better than _twelve _people, isn't it?"

Proteus brushed his bangs out of his eyes and sighed. This was exactly how his brothers, Triton and Neptune, had predicted Atemu would take this new task. The silver-eyed Sprite watched Atemu run his fingers through his hair repeatedly. Proteus took to stroking his beard, a habit he did when he was waiting impatiently or nervous. In this case it was both.

"Are you going to help us, Lord Atemu?" asked Proteus quietly.

"Well of course I'm going to help you," snapped Atemu bitterly. "It's just…" Atemu paused, feeling the usual pressure between his shoulder blades begin to squeeze and twist into knots that happened when Atemu was stressed or under pressure. "Proteus, how the hell are we supposed to find eleven specific people in… however many realms there are?"

"I don't know," admitted Proteus. "Triton is thinking of a plan though. He said it would be safer for them in our realm so you should go find them and bring them with us. Aura and Dimys can protect them. We've already got Lady Tea."

Atemu nodded. This was indeed an emergency. Perhaps the other elements couldn't twist and manipulate other people like the Tainted Shadows had done to Dimys and Aura, but the thought of what would happen if the Death element became severely unruly.

"As you can see," said Proteus, dragging Atemu out of his thoughts, "the Wind element is right now the most severely dangerous, mainly Wind Sprite. Without Lady Zephyr, they think they can do whatever the hell they want. They've started slipping to other realms other than their realm, the Tealth Realm."

Then without warning an enormous boulder flew over their heads toward the freeway.

-

- - -

-

Diana screamed as Joey desperately swerved onto an exit ramp to avoid the falling boulder.

"What the _HELL _was that?" shouted Joey. There was massive crushing sound as the boulder landing exactly where Joey would have been had he not gotten out of the way. There was the noise of breaks being slammed on, and crashes and twisted metal as cars collided into the giant boulder and into each other. There was an explosion as an SUV ramped off another car over the fence separating the two freeway roads into oncoming traffic. Debris was shot everywhere, puncturing one of Joey's tires, sending them spinning into an intersection underneath the bridge that was closest to the damage caused by the boulder.

As soon as Joey managed to bring the car to a complete halt, an eighteen-wheeler holding gasoline was sent over the bridge directly over Joey and the others, only holding on by the last two tires. Joey's heart nearly stopped right there. He shoved his mother out of the car, barely aware of what he was doing. He climbed out himself and flung Serenity and Diana's door open, picking both of them out of the car and ran around, clutched his mother by the arm and started to run, all in under three seconds.

Joey glanced back and saw that the truck driver had climbed out of the truck and started climbing up the side of the truck and then latched onto the bridge, the driver surprising nimble for someone his size. And as soon as the driver had climbed off the truck, the railing collapsed, sending the truck into the car that they had just escaped and crushing it flat. The driver and Joey had barely gotten out of danger when the gasoline exploded from a flame from the freeway.

"Oh man…" moaned Joey. His mother looked at him.

"What happened, did we leave something important in the car?"

"Yes!" cried Joey. "The car! We left the car! It was Atem's!"

"Joey! Are you alright?"

Joey turned around to see a woman with long blonde hair and deep violet eyes running toward them. She had a pointed face and sharp features and her clothes, a miniskirt, a tube top, a leather jacket, and boots up to her knees made her look as though she would hit you before asking your name but her face had a gentle, worried expression on it.

"Mai!"

Once Mai reached Joey, she flung her arms around his shoulders. "Joey I saw the whole thing! Are you hurt?" She suddenly spotted Serenity and hugged her as well. "Oh you two scared the hell out of me." She saw Mrs. Wheeler and Diana gave Joey a bemused look.

"Mai this is my ma," said Joey as they shook hands, " and the kid is Diana. She's Atemu's… cousin. He's taking care of her."

"Hello Diana," said Mai sweetly but distractedly. "Where _is _Atem?" she asked, fully aware of what had happened in Typhoon's realm, so she knew Atemu had gotten his own body.

"We were trying to get to him when-"

"Joseph! JOSEPH!"

Joey turned to see Atemu with Proteus at his heels.

"Atem, you're alright!" Joey paused. "_Proteus_?"

"Behind you, Joseph!" shouted Atemu. Joey and the others turned in time to see what looked like a worm made completely out of stone erupt from the ground, the size of a skyscraper, sending up another boulder the size of a barn soaring into the sky.

"Jesus Christ!" screamed Mai. "What the hell is that thing?"


End file.
